Living things
by Mogshawn
Summary: After the Giant battle, on board the Argo II; the seven have some time to relax and enjoy each others company. They are travelling back to Camp Half-Blood partially celebrating their successes. However; they fear encountering Gaea once returned, the warhas just one last leg.


**Bit of a silly fanfic. RR owns pjo **

"Look, just lie down...please."

"I really don't see how it'll help though-"

"Just do it Jason," Piper plead, "For me, please."

The long cut, that ran the length of Jason's waist, gradually oozed more thick blood. By now, a small pool had gathered by the floor of his infirmary bed. All of the crew had visited the infirmary in the past four hours, the giant battle had caused many injuries and now the ambrosia stocks were equal to nothing.

"Fine Pipes although I'd be more useful on deck."

"Do you really want me to fetch Annabeth?" Piper raised her eyebrow and continued cleaning the wound, head bent over are work. "I'm pretty sure she could convince you to lie down and relax."

He smirked, "I'm pretty sure _you_ could." Piper slowly turned her face towards him, her face said '_don't even get me started bro'_.

"Shut up and lie down." She said shoving his head onto the pillow.

"Seriously but this is not productive. Are you sure I can't be more helpful elsewhere!" Piper stared at him, she rolled her rainbow eyes, turned around and yelled.

"ANNABETH!"

"Piper! You serious?" She grinned deviously in response.

A head appeared around the infirmary door. Their hair was choppy and messy and a distinctive trail of ketchup ran from their mouth to their chin. Green eyes locked onto the couple on the other side of the room causing a wide grin to spread on their face.

"Hey guys!" He took a bite of his hot dog. " Sorry, Annabeth is busy doing some weird thing with the engine. She sent her servant instead," Percy smirked, " that's me by the way."

"Fine, Percy please can you tell Jason to relax and lie down." Her tone was resigned as she realised Percy would probably make things...difficult. "Seriously, he won't realise that the danger is behind us."

"Piper is worrying about me too much!" Jason cut in, flashing his wound at Percy. "Don't you think Perce, it's not that bad."

Percy put his hot dog on the bedside table, he examined the pitcher that Piper had used to clean the wound.

"Would Piper agree that if there was no 'not that bad' cut scarring poor Jason, she would happily let him play swords with Percy?" He inquired, casting an almost missable small sly smirk into the waters reflection.

"What?"

Percy turned from his fascinating pitcher to pointedly give his most sincere look in Pipers direction. "I never joke when I'm thinking of hot dogs." Shoving his half eaten food into Jason's mouth.

"Your a crazy boy Perce!" She finally mumbled, he raised his eyebrows proving his sincerity. "I guess Piper would let Jason play with you."

"Really?" Jason interjected whilst swallowing the last of the snack, she nodded - forlorn; the boys slyly bro fisted. Why did they love to undermine their girlfriends so much? Piper could only guess because she had, in fact, brought this upon herself. "Just saying but this does not solve the bleeding gash on my side."

"Yeah Perce, how are you gonna solve that?" Piper cooed "Jason is still incapacitated for the time being." She gently stroked Jason's hair with an air of finality.

Percy shrugged and rather deliberately stretched his long arms, crinkling his orange shirt that showed signs of ware from their recent battle, in a yawning action. The pitcher toppled over when he brought his hands down on the water jug; cold fluid spilt out and ran over the table. Piper was merely miffed - only Percy could be this lame sometimes. However; Jason seemed to be rather enjoying himself - quietly smirking at Percy, who was flamboyantly acting panicked.

"Oops!" He said, covering his mouth like those ridiculous girls often seen in movies after _accidentally_ setting something on fire. With a flick of the wrist, the water was lifted into the air. It danced in the air, sending rainbows over the nearby beds; shafts fell on Pipers unimpressed face - she was not enjoying his little show. Percy directed the water to Jason's gash and carefully placed his hands on his waist underneath the cloud of swirling water. Slowly the water descended, it created a film over the wound so that it solidified into a layer of skin. The water retreated and was literally absorbed by Percy.

He sprang up, "ta-dah!" Astonished Jason carefully felt the fully healed wound but Piper glared at Percy - she would now have to undermine him.

"Fine Perce, whatever let me just get ANNABETH!" Piper screamed. She stared at a confused Percy, weighing up her options. Jason awkwardly lay between them, happy with his new leg but freaked with his friends.

"Why are you calling Annabeth?" Percy asked, clearly confused with Pipers motives and objectives.

"You'll see..."

With a scuffle and bump, a flustered looking Annabeth fell through the door. Grease marks littered her shorts and camp shirt; her hair had been rather hastily pulled into a messy bun. Her deep grey eyes fluttered around the room, she was clearly not expecting to see the three of them gathered around a bed - completely okay.

"Alright," she said gaining her composure and walking over to the bed," what is going on?" She took Percy's hand and privately inquired with her eyes.

He merely smiled, shrugged and said "I don't know anymore. Ask Piper."

Annabeth turned her gaze to Piper. "Well basically Percy is annoying me in that weird man way - so is Jason, to an extent."

Percy looked scandalised, like someone had just accused him of eating all the cookies, shaking his head trying not to laugh. Annabeth smacked him over the head and apologised to Piper.

"Percy, just you wait until your mother finds out!"

"Just wait until _your_ mother finds out about that time in the..." He shot back. Annabeth had sharply punched him in the shoulder.

"Gods Seaweed Brain, don't make me kick your butt again, because you know I'll do it!"

"Is that before or after you take a spontaneous dip?"

"I am serious! My sword is right here." She drew her sword and pointed it at Percy's chest. Piper would rather there not be a huge battle directly next to her boyfriends bed. Jason looked at her, he grimly nodded and slowly got put of bed. They both readied themselves for an apocalyptic war.

"Ohhhh not the bone sword," Percy pranced around, "you know it makes you look like a barbarian princess?"

Annabeth lost her nerve and stared at Percy is disbelief. "What?!" Is the best translation for whatever she cursed in Greek. Like lightning, Percy knocked the sword to the floor; he engulfed Annabeth into a cage of arms.

"Haha one - nil to Percy I think." He laughed whilst holding a severely miffed Annabeth. "Arrr come on Wise Girl, just because I tricked you..." She exhaled in an annoyed manner, "although it is still true." He amended causing Annabeth to blush a deep scarlet.

"Well Seaweed Brain, you aren't exactly tough yourself..." Gently she pinched the small of his back; by sheer luck Percy's mortal anchor might still be sensitive. Immediately, Percy fell backwards; the flaw in the plan meant that Annabeth too fell down - at least she landed on Percy, still entrapped in his cage.

"Seriously guys this is a _healing_ room!" Jason sighed. He actually found it rather hilarious and struggled against a smirked as Piper helped him from his bed.

"Yeah at least go and find an empty one..." Piper added, she gently supported a grinning Jason.

A laughing Percy hoisted Annabeth up, who persisted to smack Percy as the occupants of the infirmary left the room empty.

"You call me down and I get tormented by _that_ one!" Annabeth asked Piper while dragging Percy along the wooden corridor in a head lock.

"Sorry, I needed some assistance to deal with _them_." She gesticulated in the general direction of Jason and Percy, who had wiggled from the head lock and was now surreptitiously whispering with Jason.

"Oh Gods, what are they planning now?"

"We should get paid for looking after them, it can sometimes be very draining."

"Hmm your telling me, they even need help choosing clothes."

"And telling when someone is into them..."

"So blind, so blind..." Annabeth stopped walking, somewhere along the maze of corridors they had lost such subjects. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Piper let out a long tired sigh, today had been long enough already; a small giggle escaped her. It was one without humour. "Ha now we just sound hypocritical - what are doing with ourselves Annabeth?" The girls stared at each other. Since the quest started they had barely had a private conversation, with travelling around the globe and preventing the worlds demise - niceties seemed low on the agenda. They had grown close at camp, both being the neglected daughter who wanted to break away from a stereotype. Anyway, Piper felt like a sister to Annabeth; after their success in the Giant battle, now seemed like a great time for a talk.

"Pipes," Annabeth said, "do you want to get a coffee?"

"You know what, that sounds perfect."

Luckily the Mess hall was empty. The girls sat on the comfy chairs with mugs in hand; they faced the feed of Camp Half-Blood. It seemed apt to talk freely while overlooking their sleeping home. Everything about it seemed peaceful; the torches of the Hecate cabin flickered as always and the lake resembled a smooth mirror - undisturbed.

"They dumped Percy and me in there after the Titan War." Annabeth gestured at the lake, "We had just got together."

Piper snorted, "Sounds like Percy would like that."

"Oh, he did." Annabeth glanced at Piper, "After this is all over, do you reckon we'll miss this - the ship, the travelling and the responsibility?"

"The crew, definitely the crew."

"Yeah, Frank and Hazel will go to New Rome, Leo go back to Camp Half-Blood..."

"What are we going to do?"

"College? The Camps? Parents houses? Try to regain any sense of normality probably."

There was a slight pause. Piper leaned over and hugged Annabeth. "Some more than others..."

"It'll be okay." She mumbled looking at her shoes. "We've all accepted demigods have a different _lifestyle_."

"You think you'll go to college in the fall then?" Piper asked "It is within our lifestyle.."

Annabeth smirked, "Maybe, Percy and I talked of it a little in Tartaurs," her voice was strong, a voice hardened by a life of battles, "it seems like a good next step."

"Wow, seems a _peculiar _topic of conversation whilst - you know - being _there._"

"Hmmm, I suppose so but after falling for how every many days, a bit of wishful thinking managed to keep us alive."

Piper caught her hand, "I'm sorry, you don't have to talk about it."

"No it's fine." She said "We had crashed into a river - thank the Gods - Percy had managed to soften the landing. You can imagine though, the rivers in Tartarus aren't all that friendly."

Piper gave a small sad smile and squeezed Annabeths hand.

"Anyway, apparently we had landed in the River of Misery. Lots of tiny whispering voices telling you how nice giving up and dying would be, not a pleasant welcome to Tartarus. Thank the Gods Perce was there or else I would've just drowned. He helped to boyy us up and head for the shore." Her eyes glistened when mentioning Percy but then grew dark. She carried on telling her story with a steely tone. "The river was evil, not good for a Son of Poseidon; Perce draws strength from water but he was drawing on poison. It was horrible Pipes, the river had a terrible effect on him - I have never seen anything like it. I had to swim us both the rest of the way to the bank. We were both succumbing to the River; the key was to think of something happy."

Piper was astonished, she could feel tears threaten to spill from her eyes.

"That's when I asked him about college, he said we could go together; according to Percy I would study Architecture while he studied Surfing."

They both looked at each other and sniggered despite there despondent states. Only Percy would be that ridiculous! Piper thought

"On land it wasn't any more pleasant; the bank was made of glass shards and the air was poison..."

"Oh Annabeth!" The outburst lead to tears. Piper pulled Annabeth to her feet and gave her a tight embrace. "Sorry, sorry, sorry..." She whispered

"Don't be sorry, this is life for us. We have accepted it." Annabeth wore a small smile, her grey eyes were unreadable and dark. She was still tanned but not as healthy, she had lost a noticeable amount of weight. Nevertheless, her demeanour was strong and determined - she literally had seen it all.

"Can I join in?" Asked a familiar low voice - it was Perce. Piper grabbed Percy's shirt and yanked him into a three-way hug. She even more admiration for the big idiot. "This is nice." He laughed. There was a blue cookie in his hand, he gave Annabeth a bite amongst the tangle of arms.

"Not as good as Sallys." She said

"Nothing beats her cookies, not even Ambrosia!" He whispered, "Pipes are you okay? Your crying."

"I am crying for you and Annabeth!"

"Arrr you don't need to do that - be happy instead! Everything's okay now, we are all going home."

"She told me about your _landing_... and that dreadful river."

There was a pause. "Oh," He gripped both girls a little tighter, "it's behind us now. That place is a long way away, everyone is safe on this ship - together." They were quiet for a moment, Piper seemed to sober up a little. "Now is a gift," Percy's voice was soft," that's why it is called the present."

"Seaweed brain," Annabeth breathed "that is probably the most sensible thing you have ever said."

"Whatever, I have my moments." He grinned, "Now ladies, Jason and I feel absolutely dreadfully awful for our behaviour."

Inelegantly the girls snorted, the hug disbanded as Percy backed up to the door.

"Laugh as you may, your boyfriends have something on deck for you." He grabbed another blue cookie from the table and disappeared out of the room. A laugh could be heard from the staircase.

"Perce, are they coming?"


End file.
